Tips for enjoying a good cup of tea

The world of tea is complex and fascinating, both because of the wide variety of teas that exist —each with its own peculiarities, virtues and aromas— and because of the respect for the ritual involved in its preparation.

To begin, I would like to clarify that there are 6 types of tea (white, green, black, red or Pu'erh, yellow and Oolong), all coming from the same plant, Camellia. Everything else, despite being hot and in a cup... is an infusion! Yes, from herbs like mint to fruits like apple... anything that does not come from Camellia cannot be considered tea.

Le Creuset cappuccino cup

With that clarification made, I think it's interesting to know some of the guidelines followed by enthusiasts of this tradition.

As a basic point, we must be clear about the concept that we don’t want to burn the tea leaves and therefore we should not pour boiling water over them (although this is often done with infusions, since you want to ensure you extract all the flavor and rehydrate the fruit). As a guide to prepare good tea you can use these temperatures:

To prepare white tea: 65–75°C
Green tea: 75–85°C
Black tea: 85–95°C
Oolong tea: 90ºC
Red tea: 95ºC
Infusions: 100°C

You will probably think you don’t want to rely on a thermometer to make your tea, but "every master has his trick", they say: when you start to see steam coming from the kettle or teapot and it begins to tremble, the water is around 65–75ºC, ideal for white tea; when you see a lot of movement and many bubbles (without reaching a boil), the water is at the ideal temperature for black tea and Oolong; between one state and the other, the water will be at the right temperature to make a delicious green tea. If it has started to boil, it has reached 100ºC.

Speaking of water, we cannot forget that this is one of the two raw materials we use to make tea. It is advisable to always use fresh water (not reheated), since each time you heat it the minerals it contains concentrate; likewise, it's useful to always use just the right amount of water to fill the cups you are going to serve, because less scale will build up in the teapot.

The second raw material for making tea is, of course, the tea leaves. It may not be necessary to say, but the higher the quality, the better results you will get. In the Pantry section we added the brand Kusmi Tea, one of the most valued brands in the world when it comes to tea. The quality of the leaves they use and the blends they offer are incredible.

Individual Kusmi Tea tins, packs of five Kusmi Tea teas and "The collection" metal box

You can choose some of Kusmi Tea's best-known varieties in generous loose tins (125gr, which is quite a bit if you consider these are dried leaves), or if you want to dive into the world of teas or try different teas from the brand, I encourage you to see the packs of 5 small-format tins that contain different types of tea: you'll find the green tea pack, the one with teas ideal for the afternoon (Afternoon Tea) and the wellness teas or Wellness. In their descriptions you'll discover each of their compositions —I'm sure some will surprise you!

If you are thinking of discovering the Kusmi Tea brand to surprise a tea lover, the metal box "The Collection", with 15 different teas, will be a great choice, for its variety of teas and quality assortment.

Tokyo Design iron teapot, which includes a filter inside; Le Creuset Tradición kettle

The last element to consider is the utensil you will use to prepare it. You can choose to use a teapot that already contains the filter —cast iron ones usually include it, like all the ones we have from Tokyo Design Studio—, so you will add the water and the tea and heat it on the stove; or you can use a kettle to heat the water, then prepare the tea directly in the cup. In this case, you will need a metal filter or the handy disposable tea bags in which you can place the tea you are going to drink.

Infuser, metal tea filter and disposable tea bag filters

Having seen various important elements in making tea, let's now review the steps to follow to prepare it:

1. Put the water you will need in the kettle or teapot.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the tea filter or the disposable bags with one spoonful of tea per person who will drink it.

3. When the water is at the appropriate temperature for the tea you are going to drink, remove it from the heat.

4. Place the filter in the teapot or pour the water into the cup, depending on whether you use a kettle or teapot. Leave the tea for 3 minutes, and remove it (the longer you leave it, the more bitter the tea will be... but some prefer it that way; you will need to find the ideal time for your taste).

5. If you used tea bags, never squeeze them with a spoon on the side of the cup, or you will release the natural tannins in the leaves; if you simply remove them from the cup, you won't make it more bitter.

6. If you have prepared tea to serve several cups, pour a little tea into each one first, then finish filling them, so you ensure all the cups have the same tea quality.

Drinking tea is for some a good solution when we want to get warm; for others, a morning habit or a great way to finish a meal... Whatever the time of day, or whatever the excuse that invites you to drink it, I encourage you to prepare it with care and enjoy every sip, because it's a whole experience. Truly gratifying and comforting.